1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a projector, and more particularly, to a thin projector having a small thickness.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The present invention relates to a projector, and more particularly, to a thin projector having a small thickness.
The recent tendency of display devices is to provide a large screen size as well as lightness and thinness.
Of such display devices, projectors have been greatly highlighted because they can realize a large screen of 100 inches or more.
Such a projector is a display device which projects an image generated from a micro device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) panel, or a digital micromirror device (DMD) panel, onto a screen, thereby displaying the image.
Generally, such a projector is classified into a single panel type, a double panel type, or a triple panel type in accordance with the number of micro devices used in the projector.
In a single panel type projector, white light is separated into color light components in a time-division manner, and the separated color light components are illuminated to a single micro device. In a two-panel type projector, white light is separated into color light components in a space-division and time-division manner, and the color light components are illuminated to two micro devices. In a three-panel type projector, white light is separated into color light components in a space-division manner, and the color light components are illuminated to three micro devices.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating an arrangement of a general single panel type projector. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of the projector shown in FIG. 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, the single panel type projector includes a light source 2, a color wheel 3, a light tunnel 4, illumination lenses 5 and 6, a micro device 7, a prism 8, and a projection lens unit 1.
In the illustrated single panel type projector, light emitted from the light source 2 is separated into red, green, and blue light beams. The separated light beams are modulated to have uniform brightness while passing through the light tunnel 4. The light beams are then incident on the micro device 7 after passing through the illumination lenses 5 and 6 and the prism 8.
The incident light carries an image signal while passing through the micro device 7, and is then projected onto a screen via the prism 8 and projection lens unit 1.
In the conventional projector having the above-mentioned arrangement, the projection lens unit 1 and micro device 7, which serve to externally emit light in an enlarged state, are arranged in parallel, whereas the lenses 4, 5, and 6 and color drum 3, which transfer light from the light source 2, are arranged perpendicularly to the projection lens unit 1.
Due to such arrangements, the optical elements of the conventional projector are arranged in a U shape. As a result, the conventional projector has an increased thickness.
That is, the conventional projector generally has a rectangular hexahedral appearance such that the top/bottom side thereof has an area larger than that of the front side thereof where the projection lens unit is arranged, as shown in FIG. 2.
As a result, the conventional projector has a problem in that there is a limitation to the installation space of the projector because an increased space must be provided in rear of the front side of the projector where the projection lens unit is arranged.
In order to solve this problem, conventional projectors use an optical system configured to bend the path of light using mirrors. In such projectors, however, there is still a limitation in reducing the projector thickness.